My Stupid Dilemma
by therandomnoob
Summary: Lucy has two different ways to communicate. Her mouth is in another world from her mind. No one seems willing enough to talk to her because of her mouth. Until she meets a weird pink-headed freak. Who turns out to be something. No spoilers though!
1. Chapter 1

"The mind of that freak…" I muttered as I stomped across the classroom. The first bell didn't ring yet, and I managed to settle into my seat before the teacher had arrived. But I was fuming, and people quickly scooted over for a clear pathway. My coffee cup shrunk into a crumpled mess.

Why was I angry, you ask me?

XXXXXXXXFLASHBACKXXXXXXXX

7:15 A.M.

I still had 45 minutes to spare. Early on my first day. Suddenly cheerful, I veered a left turn and headed for _Starbucks_ instead of school. I needed my caffeine for a Monday.

_Mmmm…. caramel frap or something different today?_ Nothing was really special, so I decided to stay safe with my only choice. A cold wind pushed back my bangs. One of the ends of my scarf slammed into my face. I sputtered a little.

Never mind. A hot chai tea latte will do…

And yes, that led to my ruined day. Right when I pushed my hair and scarf away from my face, a motorcycle suddenly swerved next to me, causing me to lose my balance. I fell face-flat and let out a little _OOMF_! The motorcycle screeched to a halt.

"Hey, you ok?" A guy's voice was caught by my ear. _Great…_ "Are you hurt badly? I'm really sorry."

I jolted up and raised my face. My eyes met obsidian orbs, which only reflected only worry. He had light pink hair—unique… But he was cute…oddly…

_Ok Lucy…what do you say? Like OH NO I'M NOT! THANKS FOR WORRYING! Wanna get coffee with me? Wait no..not the last part. Only previous ones! OK GOT IT! _My mind decided. But not before my mouth opened.

"Of course I'm not! Do you realize how long I took just to do my hair? I had to pick out my outfit with care! It took me two hours to complete my look for today! Don't you realize that you ruined it?! It cost me so much time and money! And what's with the pink hair?! Seriously…" I babbled on.

The guy looked a little surprised. _Oh no….I'm doing it again. _People who walked by looked at us weirdly.

I hated myself. It was a condition of mines. I talked before I thought.

And right now, the poor guy had to endure it.

_Noooo…I'm going to get another hater…_

"…like pink is a girly color. And on men! It's so ugly on you!..." _No! It's really cute! I swear! T_T_ "…And a motorcycle? Why couldn't it be a convertible?!" _You look awesome with a motorcycle! _"You are totally poor! I can sense it!" _No! What the heck?!_

If that boy recorded my words with my thoughts, he would probably run away. Bipolar blondie. Two-faced girl.

"…Why did you run into me? I was having a good morning and you ruined—!"

"Wait wait." He cut me off. I looked back in surprise. He actually talked before running away. "I didn't even run into you. YOU ran into me because your face was covered in fabric and hair. There's no need to attack me." He raised an eyebrow.

"But you had to drive here! Why couldn't you drive on a different road?!" There goes my stupid mouth…

"Well, why couldn't you just walk on a different path? A pedestrian has more freedom than a driver." He pointed out. I bit my lips.

"Well…" Wait, my mouth is processing? Time to say what I think! "…Technically, a motorcyclist has the most freedom with the speed and the size. A pedestrian has to wait to cross an intersection or the road while cars usually can't get into places pedestrians can because of their size…" Thoughtful…but not the right thought….

"Oh?" His face leaned a little closer to mines. I could feel his breath. I almost squawked in reply. Just as I was about to flush in embarrassment… "That's a new side. The blondie is a geek? Maybe you're not the typical one…"

Something inside me ticked as I scowled at him. Then, I kicked him in the shins. Intentionally. That, I can agree on with my brain and my mouth. A loud groan emerged from his mouth as he lay on the ground in fetal position, clenching his teeth. Some snickered nearby.

"Ohh? You gay?" I smirked. "Didn't know that pink was popular amongst them."

He stopped squirming and looked me in the eye. "Hey chick. Don't be against gays."

"Standing up for them? Bet you are one." I could feel myself getting out of control. My stomach flipped multiple times in guilt. _Please forgive me. Oh my god. Noooo…_

"What if I am?"

"Knew it. Even you admitted it." I triumphantly sneered. _No! Bad Lucy! No! You don't sneer at anyone!_

"Is there something wrong about it?"

"..Uh..well…" For the first time, I felt myself stumble a little. Make up something to quick. "No! But it's you. So…yes!"

"..Ok…" He looked at me with a questioning gaze. He seemed to process something in his mind. Then he scratched his head. "Wanna get coffee? I'll make it up to you."

_Wait what? Oh my gosh! Yes I would love to! Because you're so cute! And polite!_ "Of course not! I'm not into gays!" _Nooooo my chance…._

"Are you stupid? If I'm gay, why would I be into you? Unless you're secretly a guy."

I glared at him. Even my gestures weren't helping me. Gosh, I sound really stupid. "I'm not stupid! You are! Weird pink freak. Go get coffee by yourself." I huffed and turned away, stalking to _Starbucks_.

I heard a small scoff behind me. My real self now had a little bit of irritation. _No, keep walking_.

"Hey blondie."

"What?!" I whirled around and spat out.

He settled into his motorcycle while grabbing his helmet. Before he covered his face, he winked and smiled. "Nice rack you got there. I'm straight."

I was confused. Ra—oh. Oh no he didn't. Automatically, I screamed and used both my arms to cover my chest. "WEIRD PERVERT!" I ran towards him, but it was too late. He already started his engine and drove away humming an off-key song.

"UGH!" I stomped and headed for the opposite direction.

_He was looking at my chest the entire time?_

My face flared in irritation. I was in front of the line.

_Nice rack?! What the heck?!_

"That'll be $4.50."

_What's wrong with being a blonde? He's such a pervert! And a terrible singer!_

"Here's your drink, ma'am."

"THANKS!" I shouted, startling the waiter. Woops.

I looked down and saw a cold caramel Frappuccino. I ordered the usual by accident. I grunted in frustration and slammed my hands on the table. He then whimpered and quickly walked away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I mean, calling me a blonde! The nerve of that guy! Well, he didn't actually, BUT I KNOW HE HINTED AT IT! I could feel steam rolling out of my face.

"Hey isn't that Lucy…?"

"Yea…she's one hot babe."

"I wanna hang out with her…she looks cool…"

"No, you don't wanna get on with her…."

Whispers scattered across the room. I finally took notice and blinked out of my thoughts of the pervert. I noticed the position I sat in. One leg bent over another as I was hunched over on the desk, my right palm greeting my right cheek. My left hand was unfortunately breaking a pencil.

"Why?"

"She's violent. And thoughtless. Really scary…"

I bit my lips. I'm not violent…thoughtless…scary…am I?

"Dude, I don't care. Look at those boobs!"

"I heard she slept with a hundred men. Not surprised though…she's got the looks and curves."

"What a slut…"

"Right?"

_I'm not! I'm a freaking virgin!_ My position hunched over even more. My dream of befriending people on my first day was gone. Just like that. Already ruined for my junior year… I bravely peeked at my watch. Three more minutes until the bell….

"I think she beat up a lot of kids before."

"Not surprised…with her reputation ahah…"

"Mhm. I think she hangs out with the good-for-nothing kids, just to be cool."

"Ewww. She's one of them?"

I can survive this. This is nothing. Rumors started overflowing once I paid attention. Two and a half more minutes left. So close.

"Wait, so she's a delinquent?"

"Yea…"

"But she was at the top of the sophomore list. Perfect score!"

"Well but there are rumors that she cheated or something. You know how her family's rich and all? I think her dad bribed the teachers."

Tears were threatening to flow out of my eyes. I remembered I put a whole month's worth of studies for the final exam. I didn't cheat. I worked so hard.

"Dude, no one gets her. She doesn't socialize with anyone easily."

"Yea I can tell. I wouldn't hang out with her. Geez what a hard person."

My lips trembled. _I'm not…._

"THEN SAY YOU'RE NOT, GOSH DARN IT!"

My eyes looked up in shock. The whispers died. A voice rang out in front of my desk. A guy with black, raven hair appeared, his matching eyes looked at me furiously. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" He demanded.

"W-w-what?" …was all I could manage.

"I SAID, TO SAY YOU'RE NOT A HARD PERSON! DON'T LET THE RUMORS JUST FLY AROUND!"

"…" I was too taken aback to reply.

"YOU!" He pointed at me. "YOU'RE GOING TO BE MY FRIEND!"

_Wait what? Friend? You are? Really?_ I could feel my eyes sucking back my tears.

Silence filled the room. Then a birth of whispers flowed through the room.

"What the heck? That Gray!"

"Some nerves he has! You think he just wants to do her?"

"Who wants to bet that he'll be punched in a few seconds?"

"Oh me!"

Snickers emerged too. I wildly looked around. There was only one minute before the bell. And it already escalated this quick. I glared at the boy, but he only bowed and stuck his hand in between us.

"I'M GRAY FULLBUSTER! PLEASE BECOME MY FRIEND, LUCY HEA—!"

"NO!" I shrieked and slammed my hand into the wall next to us. Woops. It made a giant dent. The guy named Gray stumbled back in surprise, a little awed at my strength. The whole class fell silent again.

I stood up. "Go away." _Don't go away!_

"No." His eyes stayed determined. _Yay!_

"Fine brat. I will." _No! I'm not! Nooooo! I didn't mean to call you a brat!_ ButI stalked across the room as people made way for me. _Noo stop me! Wahhh! What on earth am I doing?!_ Without surprise, no one stopped me.

As I was a safe distance away, I heard a new eruption of rumors.

"What the hell? He didn't get a black eye?"

"Dude! Give me your five dollars! She didn't hit him!"

"I said five cents you idiot!"

My eyes couldn't suck back my tears anymore. _They're right…I'm such a jerk._ And so I headed towards the nurse's office.

_Ding! Ding! Ding!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for your support guys! I appreciate it C: Imma make it short lol. Enjoy the new chapter~**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Chapter 2

_Gray's POV_

I was a little shocked as I slumped into a desk. The dented wall stared at me, not that it had eyes or anything.

The whole class whispered annoyingly. It was tiring, so I shot a deadly glare across the room. It shut up some of them. Lucy was gone. She had ditched class.

Like usual, the teacher was late, and my friends waved me over. The seats weren't arranged yet, so we were allowed to sit wherever we wanted. But I sighed. I wasn't in the mood to talk.

When Lucy sat down, I realized that she was uncomfortable. Everyone immediately scooted away from her desk, in fear of her wrath. But her eyes glistened with sadness. It was almost as if she wanted to meet people. My heart wrenched a little, and I felt myself drifting over.

I groaned and palmed my face. That was reckless. I should've talked to her during lunch. But no one knows where she disappears to during the period.

"Oi Gray! You didn't hear us call to you!" An orange-haired guy appeared, his hazel eyes sparkling in interest. Girls from left to right squealed when he entered their two-meter radius.

"I did, Loke."

"That was pretty brave, talking to that hardcore girl." He commented and flicked aside one of his stray hair bangs. A girl nearby fainted as some shrieked. I couldn't tell if they were staring at Loke or me. I rolled my eyes as he continued, "But now new rumors are flying. About the both of you now."

I scrunched my shoulders in guilt. "I just…felt a little bad that I never talked to her before."

He opened his mouth. "By the way Gray, you sort of—"

"GRAYY-SAMA! JUVIA IS HERE FOR GRAY-SAMA KYAAAA!" A blue girl spun towards me as I widened my eyes in horror. She bulldozed through the crowd and appeared in front of my face a second later. "WHAT DID LUCY DO TO GRAY-SAMA?! DID LUCY PUNCH GRAY-SAMA? OH KAMISAMA!" She shrieked and pointed to the dented wall that sadly sat there. "VIOLENT! RIVAL! KOWAIII!" (**note: kowai means scary).

I tried to calm her down. "Wait Juvia, she didn't do anything."

"JUVIA HEARS THAT LUCY IS VIOLENT! GRAY-SAMA MUST STAY AWAY FROM-!"

"Juvia. Look at me. I'm fine."

"BUT BUT BUT!" She blubbered. She then averted her gaze towards me and flushed tomato red while gawking. "Gray-sama…is…"

"…you sort of stripped." Loke finally finished.

I looked down, only in my boxers. Blushing, I quickly gathered my clothes around the desk and started dressing. Some girls groaned in disappointment. So that's what they were staring at…Juvia fainted as I saw a stream of blood trickle from her nose.

"JUVIA LOCKSER!" A huge voice bellowed. A large tanned man appeared with steroid-like muscles. Students shrieked a little as they scuttled away in silence. He stomped into class A and pulled Juvia by her back collar. "DITCHING CLASS? I THOUGHT YOU WERE A BETTER MAN!" He ignored me and dragged her as she struggled to get back.

"JUVIA IS NOT A MAN!" she wailed. "JUVIA WANTS TO BE IN CLASS A WITH GRAY-SAMA! NAKED AND BEAUTIFUL GRAY-SAMA! NOT WITH BAKA ELFMAN! NOT IN CLASS-B!"

"THEN BE A MAN AND IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH GRADE!" he retorted. She thrashed wildly and managed to get a good kick at Loke's thigh. He hissed in pain.

"JUVIA WILL BE BACK! JUVIA WILL BE BACK FOR GRAY-SAMA!" she yelled before finally disappearing into the crowd. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"That obsessive freak." My friend seethed in anger. "Ohh Gray-sama~~" He mockingly tilted his head with a dreamy gaze and snorted. I heard distant screaming in the classroom next to ours. "What language does she speak? Juvia-nese?

"Oh come on, she's not that bad." I waved my hand and pulled up one of my legs to rest it on my other. Loke gave me an are-you-serious look.

"Wait wait. She's obsessed with collecting stuff that look like you. She watches all the anime shows that have a black-haired protagonist or have a name similar to yours. She talks Japanese/English which sometimes makes no sense at all. She licks pictures that have you on it. She tortures those who confess to you. And she makes out with pillows that have your face imprinted on it. You say that she's not that bad?"

"Well she—wait what?" I thought I heard the last few parts wrong.

He shrugged. "Just a rumor I heard."

I threw up my arms. "Rumors. Rumors. Everyone just loves rumors, don't they? With their stupid bickering mouths, a lie could turn into their truth."

"It's school. It's entertainment." He commented. He swished his hair as new squeals erupted. A few boys shot him a glare. Probably because their girlfriends were fawning over him.

"Well I hate it. Everyone's an idiot." I got out of my seat and headed outside.

"Wait, where are you going? Class is about to start!"

I turned my head back. "I'm ditching. It's that old fart's fault for being late. Bye."

"I'm coming with you!"

"Don't." I swiftly turned the corner and pranced towards the rooftop. It was only 8:15, and my day felt like ten hours passed. Climatic. I needed some alone time.

"Cold bastard…" I heard my friend mutter before I walked out of hearing range.

XXXXX _LUCY'S POV_ XXXXXXX

I sniffled as Mirajane gave me another tissue. I hated today. I was promising myself a good one. And no, it was just chaotic. That pink-headed jerk. And that raven boy who offered to be my friend. An offer which I turned down. I remembered the event and groaned, covering my face with my hands.

"Lucy…" she warmly patted me on the back. "Do you want a drink? I could go get one for you."

I shook my head and blew my nose into the tissue. It was covered in my snot, to my disgust. Embarrassed, I quickly wiped away the remainder of my slime and threw it in the trash. Mirajane only chuckled, bemused.

"Is that personality of yours getting out of hand?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Yea."

She looked at me, expecting more. I sighed.

"This morning, I encountered a motorcyclist. He asked me if I was ok, and then…" I groaned, replaying the conversation.

"Then?"

I slumped onto the bed and rolled over, my back facing her. "You know the typical…"

"Ahh…" was all she said.

"And he was really cute! He even offered to get coffee with me. But my stupid mouth just shot out stupid stuff….I wish I could talk to everyone like I could with you." I blubbered. "Life would be so much easier…"

"Mhm.."

"And today in class, a guy offered to be my friend."

"How did you react?"

"I punched the wall and stomped out. Rejected him. God…"

"Lucy…"

"Yea I know. But I don't want to hear the medical stuff. I just want a normal conversation."

"It's better if you face it though. And talk about it with your dad."

At the mention of my father, I shot up and bit my lips. "No, not ever with my father. No."

"But—"

"No. I stay out of his life. He stays out of mine."

Mirajane tried to explain. "Lucy, depression isn't bad. A lot of people have it. It's just that this is affecting you more than others. Your father will understand."

"Yea and it's making me have a slight bipolar disorder too…I should go to a mental asylum."

"But you can talk to me normally, Lucy." She smiled warmly. "You can control it, but it's only your mind that can, not your body."

"I wish I could be normal."

"I like you this way Lucy," she said. "I think it would be best just to continue life and try to make friends."

"It's hard."

"I know." She waved her hand. Suddenly, she leaned in and cupped her mouth. "Wanna hear my backstory?"

"Wait what? You have a backstory?"

Mirajane chuckled. "Everyone has one, Lucy. Some are more peaceful. Others are more dramatic. Depends on the individual's past and his or her viewpoint." She shrugged.

I nodded, interested. "Tell me." I sat criss-cross on the bed as she scooted her office chair over.

"Well," she began, "I used to be a monster when I was your age. Punk and demonic were written all over me."

My ears perked up. "That's nonsense. You can't possibly be mean, Mira."

Suddenly, her face darkened. "Oh it's true. Every person who went up to me, I went WHA-BAM!" She imitated a punch and squeaked when her chair rolled to the side. "Everyone was scared of me. And I got the nickname 'Demon Mirajane.'"

"Wait, did you have depression too?"

"Oh no," she waved her hand, a little embarrassed, "I just was too overprotective over my brother since we were both in high school. It then got out of hand." She laughed sheepishly.

"You have a brother? Who is he?" My orbs widened.

"I'll give you a hint." She winked. "He teaches at this school. White hair."

"Lyon?" I guessed.

"No. Plain white. Not with a hint of sky blue. And he's a student. But I wish he were." She dreamily cupped her face. I rolled my eyes, but I was laughing.

"Angel?"

"Lucy. My brother's a man."

"Makarov."

"He only has white hair because he's old. Way too old."

"Uhh…"

"Another hint." She winked again. "Class-C."

I gaped. "Mr. Strauss?!" I mentally facepalmed myself. Mirajane Strauss and Elfman Strauss. Sometimes my common sense lacked a little.

"Yea Elfman," she laughed. "Strange isn't it? He used to be so weak. Now look at him." Mirajane wiped a tear away. She then got up and headed towards her medicine cabinet, arranging her stuff neatly.

"Elfman? But he's so big and strong. Like a man. POWW!" I stretched my arms and made a wide circle. Mira looked amused.

"True. But back in those days, he was short, stubby, and easily targeted by bullies. I had to turn into a devil so I could protect him."

"But how? What made him transform? And what made you transform?"

She stopped in the middle of her action and thoughtfully placed a hand on her chin. "I'm not sure…but when he graduated…I remember…"

"Remember?" I eagerly leaned in to listen.

She looked down, her face suddenly nostalgic. She rubbed her arms. "He said, 'Mirajane. Thank you for protecting me all those years. But I don't need you now.' I was hurt by that comment and…"

"And?"

"…landed a roundhouse kick at him." She turned towards me with an innocent smile. My jaw dropped to the floor.

"W-w-what? WHY?" I stumbled a little. A slender Mirajane kicking a muscular Elfman. I shook my head.

"I was honestly hurt by what he said. He was my brother. I protected him from elementary to high school, and now he suddenly said he didn't need me anymore. I was about to land another kick until he explained."

"What did he tell you?"

"He told me it was his time to protect me and our little sister. He was tired of being weak. And he was tired of being a burden on me. Even though I told him he wasn't. But he got up and took me by my shoulders. And told me to be serious." She paused and sat back in her chair, contemplating.

"Oh…"

"He realized I had no friends because of my violent behavior. And he knew he was the cause of it. I was always alone. Even he had a couple of friends who supported him. So he told me to let him go. I was refusing it at first, even though I agreed. It was time for him to be independent. He was going to college. And I had to finish two more years of high school. Reality sucks."

"Yea….I hate reality." I lay back down on the bed and looked out the window. The lunch area looked so peaceful without students.

"Everyone does." She smiled. "But during that summer, Elfman worked out every day and ate twice his usual intake. He grew, and he mentally trained himself from all those years of bullying…Seeing this, I realized I needed to work too. I bought girlish clothes that I had always wanted. I didn't keep my hair in a ponytail. And I tied up my bangs to…"

"To…?"

"…show everyone my true face. That this was also the real Mirajane. Not just the monster Mirajane. Just to let everyone know that I had improved. And so, Elfman and I went our separate ways…but we still ended up back in Fairy Tail high school." She laughed.

"Wow.." I was amazed. "You guys are amazing."

Mira only chuckled. "You are too, Lucy. You just don't realize it."

"But…" I pouted, looking down at my legs. "I'm probably the loneliest and saddest person on the planet….No one wants to be my friend…Not to add that I'm damaged…"

"Lucy…" she scooted over, struggling a bit due to the uneven floor. After about a minute, she finally came and took my hand into hers. "The loneliest people are the kindest…the saddest people smile the brightest….and the most damaged people are the wisest. You are kind, cheerful, and intelligent. If you face your fear, everyone will want to be your friend."

"I'm none of those…" I muttered, a little embarrassed from Mira's compliments. "I have no friends. All my classmates think I'm violent. Some think I'm a slut because of these." I pointed at my chest.

"Well, you aren't. Only you know the truth. None of the others do." She smiled warmly. "And with friends, you can start with me." She held up one finger. "One down, seven billion more to go!" She tilted her head cheerfully.

"Wait, you want me to be friends with everyone on the planet?!"

"Yep!"

"Mirajane!" I groaned, but we both laughed. I felt cheered up and optimistic now. "I'll go back to class. Thank you." I really meant it.

She nodded as I got up and headed towards the doorway. "Wait Lucy! Let me write an excuse for you. I don't want you to get into trouble."

I squealed. "Thank you so much! That would be awesome!"

She laughed and quickly ripped out a post-it note to write it. "Hope you'll make it up with that raven-haired boy."

"Yea I will! Right when I get back to the classroom!" I hummed cheerfully as suddenly the door opened.

"Hey Miss Strauss. I have a small headache, so could I rest here for a bit?"

My orbs widened. He turned and saw me, his orbs also widening.

"G-G-Gray?" I managed to squeak out as I backed into the wall. He opened his mouth.

"Lucy?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Unnecessary comments by the author here. Heheheh. I'll introduce more into Natsu prob in the next chapter. And more of Lucy's classmates in Chapter 5. enjoy!**

Chapter 3

_Unknown's POV_

I slowed down to a halt and kicked down my sidestand. The engine sputtered a little, tired from my aimless journey to find the school. The school campus loomed over me. I shuffled a little, to grab out my handwritten note.

_1456 Guild Ave_

I looked around, confirming my location. Once spotting the street name, I sighed in relief and ran a hand through my hair. Suddenly, I stopped, recalling the morning.

_It's so ugly on you!_

Immediately, my face turned sour, and I shook the blondie out of my mind. I needed to only concentrate on tutoring. And it was just for one day of swimming.

I scanned my surroundings again, only to find two students snuggling next to each other. The girl giggled as the boy played with her hair. Suddenly, I caught the girl's eye. She stared at me blankly while the boy noticed her sudden lack of attention. I bit my lips, trying not to laugh as I winked. She let out a goofy grin and blushed furiously. Her boyfriend saw me, glared and turned the girl's face back towards him.

Bemused, I locked my helmet onto the holder and swiped one leg over the motorcycle to stand. I whistled as I headed straight for school.

_XXXXX Lucy's POV XXXXXX_

"Sure, Gray. You ok?"

We both stared at each other with Mirajane humming cheerfully in the background. She seemed unaware of the circumstances.

"Uh…uhm…" He stumbled. And I couldn't get out what I wanted to say before.

"Lucy, here's your slip. Have fun at class!" She cheerfully gave me the excuse while we were still gawking at each other.

"Uh…THANKS MIRA BYE!" My face was red as I ran out of the nurse's office.

"WAIT LUCY!" I heard his voice, but I didn't bother turning back. _I know I said to make it up to him…but not right now! I'm so sorry!_ I ran towards the rooftop as I heard pounding footsteps behind me. _Wait he's following me! What the-! _

"YOU RUN TOO FAST! SLOW DOWN!"

"NO!" I yelled back. Through the window panels, I saw some students who curiously glanced towards us as we ripped by. I needed to go up.

Finally, I reached the staircase with footsteps still resounding nearby. I sprinted up, taking two steps at a time and caught the door handle. I opened it and entered. I tried to shut it, but a force prevented me from doing so.

"LUCY! STOP! I WANNA TALK WITH YOU!"

"WELL TOO BAD! BECAUSE I'M NOT LETTING YOU!" _No! Just let him in! I want to talk to him too!_

"SERIOUSLY! I'M NOT GOING UNTIL YOU AT LEAST HAVE A 5 MINUTE TALK WITH ME!"

"WHAT ON EARTH DO WE TALK ABOUT THEN?!" _Oh yea, I haven't thought about that._

"I DON'T KNOW? DINOSAURS?! UNICORNS?!"

"NO!" _YES! _

We were both panting. Only the door was a barrier in between us. My hair stuck out in various directions, and I felt beads of sweat run down my face. Grunting in frustration, I side-stepped and released the door, causing Gray to fall out from using so much strength.

"Do whatever you want," I hissed and walked towards the fence that barricaded the edges of the building. I heard him shuffle. I felt my face turn red a little since I was touched. He had followed me all the way to the rooftop.

I heard more shuffling. "Lucy…uhm…how are you?"

"Good." I monotonously said. _GOSH DARN IT! BE MORE CHEERFUL! LIKE YAY GRAY! I'M SO AWESOME! LIFE IS AWESOME LIKE YOU!_

He waited a few seconds, and then laughed. "Aha I see…" _Stupid! You're supposed to say 'How are you?'!_

"…"

"…Face me."

I immediately turned poker-face. This is embarrassing. I never talked to anyone like this besides Mirajane and my maids and servants…and maybe that pink guy. My legs quaked a little. I felt a hand rest on my shoulder.

"Lucy…face me."

_Ok…what do I do? Be cool, Lucy. Don't be rude._ "Fine you little prick. I'll turn around." _God damn it!_ But I turned around, and I saw something I shouldn't have. "GRAY WHAT THE HELL! OH MY GOD!" I furiously blushed and ran to the other corner of the rooftop, covering my eyes.

"What? What are you—oh my god. I did it again." I heard shuffles and a zip. "Sorry, this is a habit. Didn't think I would do it all the way this time."

"How the hell is that a habit?" I retorted, even though I was still blushing. The image of _that _appeared again in my mind. I groaned.

"Uh...let's just say a grown woman taught me how to."

I whipped around and widened my eyes. "You..you had sex with a grown woman?!"

"How did you—OH NO! NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT! I MEANT LIKE TUTOR! FOR SWIMMING LESSONS!" He blabbered, trying to clear up the misunderstanding.

I saw that he was still buttoning his shirt and turned around again. My face heated up, and I bit my lips. _I'm actually having a conversation…_ I smiled a little.

"Sorry about that…aha…but I'mserious. I want you to be my friend."

My heart fluttered a little. And my fists slowly unclenched. "Why…?"

"..I don't believe in rumors. I think..you're a nice person.." I slowly turned back to him, and I raised my head to stare eye-level with Gray.

"…Why?"

"Just a gut feeling." He scratched his head and laughed.

I felt awful for verbally abusing him. Here, he was, trying his best to talk to me. Even though I'm a jerk. Suddenly, I felt like I had control of my words. "..Thank you, Gray.." And I managed a small smile.

He stopped laughing and stared at me. His hand dropped to his side. _Oh god, what did I do? Did I say something wrong? Oh geez..Respond dude! You're silent!_

My mouth suddenly snapped back. _Crap._ "What are you staring at, twerp?" I furrowed my eyebrows. _NO! Geeezz…._

My comment seemed to snap him back now. "OH NO! SORRY! I-I was just…" He looked down sheepishly. _I'm so sorry, Gray!_

"Well, if you're not going to do anything besides talking, get out." I plopped myself on the ground and crossed my arms, letting out a small _hmph._ _Wahhh! I'm sorry!_

"O-o-okay.." He turned around to my disappointment and wobbled a little while walking towards the door. I sat still until I heard the door close. I let out a small sigh. _Sorry…._

_XXXXX Gray's POV XXXXX_

"Sorry." I accidentally bumped into a few people, mostly girls. The lunch bell had rung, and people now crowded the hallways.

"It's ok, Gray." One giggled as I smiled apologetically. I headed for class A. But she was still on my mind. I walked, dazed at the encounter. Automatically, I turned corners and knew the directions subconsciously, and before I knew it, I reached my classroom.

"HEY GRAY! YOU'RE BACK, YOU COLD-HEARTED JERK!" Loke's voice came. "Let's join Gajeel and Jellal over there." He noticed my slight trance. "Oh, did you meet her?"

I nodded.

"What did she do? What happened? Did she punch you? Tell me the details!" He pestered me like a gossip girl. I ignored him.

"SO? What happened?"

"Her…" I began.

"Her? What?"

"…" I lowered my head and felt my face heat a little.

"What?! Tell me!"

"….Her smile is beautiful." I walked away with Loke staring at my back.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_Lucy's POV_

The wind swept my hair back as I stared at the school campus below. Annoyingly, some of the loose hair strands flew straight into my mouth. I gagged, spat it out, and pulled out the remaining strands. Too graceful.

When Gray had left, I immediately locked the door, to prevent anyone else from entering my silent haven. Even though I had no company, it was peaceful. But I still had a lingering regret of leaving Mira. I reached into my pocket and found her note that she had written for me. Guilt prickled my heart.

Suddenly, the door opened. _Wait…but I locked..the door!? _I then realized it might be a teacher or a tutor who had the key. I panicked, scrambling around. No hiding spots. _…Play it cool, Lucy._ So I stopped and plopped myself on the ground again, staring out at the campus as if I were in deep contemplation.

"Ahhh! What a long day! Geez, at least extend this break to an hour." Sweat beads rolled down my forehead. _Calm down. It's just another human being…_

"Oi! You there! Can I join you?!" A jolt of electricity ran down my spine. _No..? Yes? Ahh I don't know. _Surprisingly, my mouth stayed quiet, and I coolly ignored him.

"Can you hear me? CAN I JOIN YOU?!" The guy called out louder. I scrunched a little, but stayed silent. "Geez. Cold chick." Annoyance trickled in my brain.

"…" _His voice sounds familiar though…should I answer?_

"….Ah…fine. Whatever." I heard footsteps descend, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

No company again. _Maybe I should've replied…_ I twiddled with my thumbs, and my shoe held down Mirajane's note from flying away with the wind. Peace returned again.

Suddenly…

"BOO!" A face appeared above me, upside-down with a baseball cap. I let out a little shriek and punched it. He let out a groan and stumbled a little. I immediately pushed him away and scuttled backwards to the other side of the rooftop, blushing at contact. He cringed on the ground as I hunched my shoulders, stancing myself in a defense position. He let out a few more groans. I stiffened. Then, he slowly got up, and I gasped. Right underneath his cap, a fist imprinted itself onto his nose.

"Urghhh.." He clenched his teeth to reveal four pointy canine teeth. He gingerly touched the red spot and winced in pain. Muttering something unintelligent, he looked up and scowled. "I can't believe it's you again."

"Who are you, prick?" _Nooo! AWGFAWORGGAW!_

"You really are a blonde," he muttered, and before I could say something, he took off his baseball cap, revealing a bed-headed mess of pink hair.

"OH!" I shouted. "IT'S WEIRD PINK FREAK PERVERT!"

"That's a long nickname," he commented.

"Well, I don't know your name, pink freak." _Ah mean side…but I don't mind, since it's him._

"Well," he retorted back, "you never asked."

"Because I'm not interested in your stupid name."

"Liar."

"Am not. You are."

"I'm a liar. You're a liar. Truce."

I opened my mouth to say something but then I shut it. _Wow I actually stopped myself._ Grunting, I sat back on the floor and whipped around with my back facing him.

"My conversation too smart for you?"

"As if." I snorted.

"So…_liar_," he emphasized it, "what's up?"

"…The sky…"

"That's old."

"I know."

He chuckled. I heard the fence clang. He probably was leaning against it right now. "Liar," he said again, prickling my annoyance level.

"Nothing wrong with being a liar, you hypocrite."

"Did I mention? I'm a hypocrite; you're a hypocrite."

"How's it bad?"

"I never said it was bad."

"But it goes against our morals, so it is." I pouted and folded my arms, leaning onto my knees.

He clicked his tongue. "Morals," he muttered.

Silence. "What?... What's your principle?" I asked, suddenly curious.

"Hmm…" It was quiet for a few seconds. "Yolo? What's yours, blondie?"

"Lucy," I corrected.

"What's yours, Lucy?"

"…That everyone should treat others the way they want to themselves. Respect."

"Oh really?"

"Yea, everyone spreads random rumors about me. And I hate it."

"But you follow that principle?"

"Yea."

"You are definitely a hypocrite." He sighed. The fence clanged more, and I took a peek, seeing that he was adjusting his sitting position. He continued, "I bet if I mirrored you, you wouldn't like it."

I scrunched a little.

"Plain example of a hypocrite. Remember this morning? Geez woman…"

I bit my lips. He was right. I was a jerk. But frustration still clawed me, knowing that he was right, and I was in the wrong.

So, I immediately stood up and managed to bang my arm against the fence. It was in pain, but I shouted at him, "I KNOW! I KNOW I'M A JERK! THIS MORNING, I FELT SO GUILTY AFTER SAYING THOSE STUFF TO YOU! I FELT TERRIBLE, BUT…AISH!" I furiously whirled around, not wanting him to see my eyes watering.

It was awkward when you viewed the scenario. A girl trembling in tears while a guy just sat there dumbfounded. It was like a typical confession scene.

Eventually, I calmed down; my breathing returned to normal, and now guilt pricked at me. I just threw random words at this guy's face. He eventually unstiffened from his position with a blank expression. "Thanks, I guess?"

A cellphone rang, playing _Totoro_'s main theme. He scurried and shuffled, finding it in his pocket. He flicked it open. "Hello?"

A woman's voice squeaked inside the phone. He smiled a little. "Yea, I'll be there. I still have an hour to go for tutoring though. Yea….Meeting? Ok. …Oh, don't worry. I'll deal with it. Ok…bye. See you later!" He snapped it shut and placed it back into his pocket.

"Girlfriend?" I attempted at a weak joke.

"No. Just a co-worker."

The wind drifted past us, a bemused spectator. A pigeon cooed, and a pile of bird poop suddenly landed in between us. I looked up. A crow.

"…Anyways…" I stiffened, realizing that he was going back to that topic.

He seemed to realize the tense atmosphere as well, but he continued anyway. He turned around his head, facing the other direction. "It's…it's not too late to start over…" he mumbled.

"What?" _You're an idiot, Lucy._

"I said," he faced me this time, "it's not too late to start over. I've heard rumors about you when I headed towards the rooftop. A vicious girl. A hot-tempered person. A cheating student. A slut." I cringed each time he mentioned one.

I tried to defend myself. "It's not tr—! "

"Of course I know it's not true. They're rumors. Most of the time, they're lies." He clicked his tongue. It seemed like his signature.

"Oh…"

He pointed at me. "Accept the rumors."

"Wait what?!" I almost screamed. "You just said they're not true!"

"Right. They're lies. Then why do you act so guilty? Running away. Staying silent. That's worse. Anyways, who gives a damn about what they say?" He shrugged his shoulders. I slumped to the floor, trying to comprehend what he just said.

"Everyone gives a damn….it's like rumors are their source of entertainment…" I muttered.

There was a brief silence. Laughter and screams were heard below us as the school bell rang. The sun was three hours away from settling itself onto the horizon, and the clouds attempted to conceal its position. A shiver ran through me.

He suddenly spoke. "Lucy, want to run away with me?"

" ?" _This guy isn't serious, is he?_

"Why not? You hate this school. I hate my environment. Run away with me." He held out a hand.

I idiotically looked at him with my mouth hanging open. "Huh?!"

Suddenly, the guy walked towards me, and I found myself instinctively walking backwards. I was now pressed against the fence with his hand next to my face.

"I like you, Lucy. Do you not like me too?" He looked nostalgic.

_What is with this scenario?! _His face was literally a foot away now. I felt myself blushing. It was my first time being so close to a person—with the fact that it was a guy.

"Ah-fw-favw—gwa-f" I stuttered. _What the heck! I don't even know your name! How old are you anyways?!_ But I couldn't say it.

"We both hate the worlds we live in. We can run away with my savings. I'm not as poor as you think I am."

"Wait wait! I just met you and-aghowhfaw—!" _And this is crazy. So here's my num—NO YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SING IN YOUR MIND RIGHT NOW, LUCY!_

"That doesn't matter," he insisted as my attention turned back to him, "trust me…."

"I…." I faltered. _I can't trust you._

It was now really quiet. The only sounds were still heard by the children playing below, but they were getting ready to go home. I felt his breath. _Wait that means he can feel mines. OH MY FLAPJACKS! WHAT DO I DO?!_

Suddenly, he smirked. "I was just joking, geez. You and your Fantas—!" I punched him. Hard with the knuckles. Something inside me ticked again, and I felt my whole body light on fire.

"That was a joke? Don't screw around with me, prick!" I spat out. "I was worried you had some mental problem! And I'm a student while you're a teacher. I don't have time to play around with you! Disgusting pink pedophile!"

He held his cheek, which was now bruised along with his nose. "I'm probably only two years older than you, you know. And I'm not a teacher. I'm just a tutor for today. Haha." Then he rubbed it.

"What? So you're like…eighteen?"

"Yea." He blinked.

"You're still gross. You could be labeled a sex offender if I reported it."

"You won't." He pulled himself up gently, wincing at the pain.

"Hmph."

He patted his back, rummaged through his pocket, and pulled out packaged bread. He tossed it to me, which I barely managed to catch. "W-what is this…?"

"You didn't have lunch." He stated as a fact. "Eat it and go pick up your bag at your classroom. School's over. And it's cold." He walked towards the door as I sat in awed silence.

The click of the doorknob brought me back to life. "WAIT!" He stopped and watched me. I flushed a little. "What's your name? I never got to know."

He blinked and smiled. "Natsu Dragneel. You?"

"Lucy …Uh...You're still a creep, so I won't say my last name…Ah—well, just remember it!" I looked down at the package. _He can see my face! I can sense it! Ahhh! So embarrassing! _ It was melon bread. "Oh..and thanks…you know…for that…and this.." I held it up to cover my face.

He cheekily grinned. "You're welcome. Thanks for your first name." I sheepishly ducked my head again. He was about to enter the doorway, but then he paused. "You know, Lucy…you have the ability to overcome that mental thing."

"How?"

"I don't know. But you just did. With me…Just accept both sides." He clicked his tongue one last time and disappeared behind the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I sprawled onto my bed and rolled myself beneath the covers. I let out a stuttered breath, quivering in the cold.

_"You just did. With me."_

I grumbled and pulled the covers over my face. What's with him? Acting all grown-up..wise…and stuff.

_Jerk._ Even though he wasn't. Great. But my mind couldn't help wonder about tomorrow. Will he be there….? To my disappointment, I remembered his cellphone conversation and the mention of him being a tutor. Usually, they only came for a day as volunteering. The edges of my lips immediately turned downward.

_Wait a minute, he's eighteen? Did he graduate early? Or did he drop out of high school? _Grr. _He's weird. I just saw him two times in a row…._

_Wait what am I doing?_ I smacked myself on the cheek and winced at my own strength. I raised my head and smashed it back onto my pillow.

_"Just accept both sides…_"

His voice and face invaded my mind again as I shook it out. Two sides? Accept them? What?

_God damn it._ I flipped over to the other side and angrily mumbled myself to sleep.

_XXXXXX Natsu's POV XXXXXXX_

"Hey good work, Natsu!" The old man called.

I looked up to see Makarov, who was still working on cutting and shaping the leather. I smiled in reply and waved. "You too gramps! Have a safe trip home!"

"Wait Natsu!" He came with an envelope in his hand. "You worked overtime! Here's the extra pay."

I formed a giant X with my arms. "Gramps, it's fine. Don't worry about me. Really."

"But Natsu, you have trouble with your rent." He pushed it into my hands and insisted, "Have it."

"Gramps," I sighed, exasperated, "it's fine. Trust me."

"But that's why you took this job."

"I'm fine now with the pay you're giving me. Consider this a late father's day gift."

"Late by two months?"

"Yep!" I patted him on the shoulder.

He contorted his face in annoyance. "Ah young ones. So stubborn I can't deal with you guys." He hobbled away to work on his purse, with my sketch in his hand. "This artist…" he mumbled, "is so picky geez, whoever he is…"

I cheekily grinned and clicked my tongue. "Night Gramps!"

A mutter emerged, causing me to laugh.

I opened the door, and a cold blast hit me in the face despite my heat packs. I lifted my striped scarf to hide my mouth and bravely walked into the bitter cold. People squirmed inside nearby shops. Summer was already gone, with fall to replace its position.

The engine instantly revved to life, and it puttered, growling at the sudden coldness. I sat for a few minutes, letting it warm itself to brace for the sudden wind. I thought of Makarov, with a slight mischievous guilt dangling on my back.

Truth is, I wasn't poor or anything.

Instead, I was filthy rich.

I really did hate the world I lived in.

I stepped onto the petal, and the motorcycle roared, flaring itself to life. I sped through the darkness, swiftly swerving through traffic and taking a sharp turn. The Orlando company building came to view, and I took a left.

Almost there.

I turned to a sharp dip, entering the valet parking lot. A building loomed over, reading Saber Hotel. There. I yanked off my helmet and shook my bed-hair, combing it back with my fingers.

"I'm sorry sir. This is valet parking. You would need to live here to enter this structure." A man in his thirties appeared next to me, his voice dripping with venom and distaste.

I looked down at my outfit. Red flannel, a simple leather jacket, dark ripped jeans, combat boots. And a white striped scarf. Yep I'm a hobo.

I looked back up at him. "But I do," I grinned sweetly.

"Sir, we do not have time to joke around…" I searched through my wallet. "…It is distasteful for the staff and the occupants of the hotel. Please leav—"

"You were saying?" I flipped a card at him. It shone gold and proudly proclaimed "VIP" on the upper right side. On the bottom, it read my name. He gaped at it.

And stuttered like an idiot. "M-m-may I see y-your driver's license?" I presented my driver's license on my wallet. He paled as I smirked. Immediately, he bowed. "I'm so sorry sir. Please forgive my attitude. But we don't park motorcycles."

I waved my hand. "It's cool, don't sweat it. I would break your neck if you touched my motorcycle." Beads of sweat appeared on the nape of his neck as he quivered. "Haha, I was just kidding. Bye." I rode away, leaving the poor-stricken man to wobble back to his position.

I found my usual parking spot, and to my relief, it wasn't taken. Locking my helmet in place, I settled the sidestand onto the ground and hopped off, walking towards the elevator.

As I waited, a woman in her forties appeared. She was a little chubby, but she proudly plopped herself next to me and showed off her jewelry, twiddling back and forth for the light to reflect on the jewels.

I almost clicked my tongue on instinct. I never knew why I did that. It was just a habit. But she took a glance at me and let out a small _hmph_.

Immediately, an image of Lucy came into my mind. I faced the other direction, grinning like an idiot.

"…Punk…causing so much trouble for that ma…Probably got in a fight." she muttered under her breath. I looked at her, and she turned away from me.

Instinctively, I touched my cheek. It was probably bruised from Lucy. That blondie…

"…Filthy clothes…"

_Already judging me by my clothes._ I smiled as the elevator doors opened. I pressed one side of the elevator back and bowed humbly. "Ma'am. Please. If you will."

Haughtily, she bounced herself in. I stepped in myself, and I realized she was scooting as far away from me as she could. Like I had the Ebola virus. I wanted to laugh.

I then pulled out my phone. I scrolled down until it read _Minerva Orlando_, and I pressed call on speakers.

"Hello?" Her voice came, and the woman, recognizing the sound, widened her eyes. I coughed.

"Hey Minerva. How's the company doing?"

"Sort of good. Being the only CEO is tiring you know." Her voice whined.

I laughed with the woman still gaping at my phone.

"Hey, come over tomorrow to my office. I need to talk to you about something for an upcoming project."

"Great. I'll be there. Orlando company right?" I winked.

A scoff. "Where else, idiot?" The old woman froze and looked like she was about to faint. "I'm going to go read Wendy a bedtime story now. Night."

"Night." I sing-sang. And clicked the phone shut.

_Ding._

The elevator doors opened. I stepped out and swiftly turned around to meet the woman by the eyes. "Next time," I clicked my tongue, "don't judge by appearance." The elevator doors then started to close.

The woman, realizing this, let out a small gasp.

"Wait, hold o—!" The doors shut close and she was cut off. I swiftly spun around to head towards my suite.

The life of the rich.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**sorry if i made natsu look like a jerk lol. hehe C: But i wanted some place to go for him so he could have some character development along with lucy. yay. **

**enjoy. i won't write much here. ty for the reviews and favs and follows :D 3**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Lucy's POV_

I didn't ditch school after that day. I kept going up the rooftop, hoping that someone would be there. I smacked myself on the head. _No…not him…_

But embarrassingly, yea. It was him. That Natsu guy. He never appeared after the first day encounter—to my disappointment.

_Wait, what am I saying? _I kicked myself. I settled into my desk as the bell rang, signaling lunch time. Only a few students remained in the classroom as others ventured out. I saw Gray, who was tackled by a blue-haired chick. A handsome guy with orange hair was bickering with her. Guess not today.

I flipped through my backpack and pulled out _Maze Runner._ This should be interesting.

"Lucy? The blonde chick? She's in our class A right?" I heard a nearby brunette mutter. I held up my book higher to conceal my face. I braced myself for rumor attacks.

_"They're lies."_ Natsu echoed in my head. I loosened and relaxed. Right. Why should I care? I went back into _Maze Runner_, and to my embarrassment, it was upside-down. I quickly flipped it around and read.

"Oh yea, she's really pretty." A girl piqued. My ears perked up. Pretty? My face flushed in embarrassment.

"But damn violent. Look at that dent she made." I rotated my orbs over, scowling at the dent. Mr. Butternuggets didn't bother with my dent for some reason. He seemed to pass and wave it over, like it was normal. It became my territorial marking for my seat somehow, and no one dared to sit on my desk. Except Gray who occasionally escaped from his friends and talked with me.

I wanted to say something, but I pressed the book against my face to shut myself up.

"Well…" Pause. "That was because of Gray. He wasn't very sensitive. I mean I would've been surprised too."

_Whoever you are, I love you._

"But not enough to smash the wall out three inches."

_Whoever you are, I hate you. _I felt my mouth move. _No! Not today! Please!_

"Cana.." the other girl began as I mentally scribbled her name on my blacklist, "maybe that's just Lucy. But you know, with her strength, I sometimes wonder why she doesn't join a sport."

Cana snorted, "Maybe bad sportsmanship?" A tick mark appeared on my forehead.

"Maybe she's poor?"

"She's the daughter of Jude Heartfilia, Levy."

"Well….I…" She helplessly mumbled. _Noooo! Don't give up for me, Levy!_

"See? Bad tops good."

Levy mumbled something incomprehensible. I sighed and almost dejectedly slouched in my seat. So close.

_"Then why do you act so guilty? Running away. Staying silent. That's worse."_

_God damn it. _His voice kept popping up in my head. I furrowed my eyebrows. But he had a point. I wasn't guilty. Even though the dent was a little too much. I didn't join sports because I forgot to turn in the application. Because of my reputation, I doubted that anyone would accept my late form.

"Then just say it," I mumbled. A few people near me glanced at me surprised. I whipped my head around in embarrassment, trying to cover it up by reading the words in the book. They seemed satisfied and went back to their conversation.

"Oh hey Lisanna!" I unclenched it. Too late. Another person arrived.

"Hey Levy, Cana." A soft voice greeted them. _Pretty voice…_I felt a little jealous.

"Lisanna," Levy wailed, "help me in this debate." I raised my eyebrow behind the book. Realizing I hadn't flipped one page, I purposely skimmed through a few pages and finally rested on one.

"Cana, don't bully Levy," she chided, "but what is the debate about?"

"I'm trying to prove to her that Lucy has a good heart. But she keeps stomping on my reasons…"

"Oh." I felt all three of their stares bore into me. My book deflected it. _Oh god…._ I suddenly wished the ground would swallow me. "I never talked to her, so I can't judge her haha."

"Yea…just use the first day event and the rumors as your evidence," the brunette snorted. I bristled a little, clenching my teeth.

"Rumors are lies most of the time, Cana…And you can't judge her by one day.."

Another name to add to my ok list. Lisanna.

"Yea…hey, why don't you talk to her, Levy? Prove yourself." I panicked. The Levy girl was coming over? Oh gosh. No. No. No. No.

I sensed a pause. _Maybe she won't?_ I felt a mixture of relief and disappointment.

"Ok, I will!" she seemed determined. Panic now. _What do I say? Oh god! My stupid mouth! No!_

_"Running away. Staying silent. That's worse."_

_SHUT UP!_ Even though Natsu's advice made sense in this scenario, I couldn't. That guy. Geez. I furiously stomped him out of my brain.

"Lucy?"

I lowered my book, just enough to reveal my eyes.

"Uhm…uh…" she seemed lost. I took a brief look at Cana and Lisanna. Cana was a very curvaceous girl, to my disappointment. She was beautiful as her brown wavy hair fell gracefully down to her stomach. Lisanna was simple. She was slender and had short white hair.

"…Welll…uhh…" I looked back at Levy. She was slender too, but was completely flat-chested. Her blue hair was short, and her bangs were held back by a bright bandana. She continued at a loss, "ahh…well…Lucy…uhm….."

Levy. She was the first girl who stood up for me. I lowered my head.

_"Staying silent. That's worse."_ …..

_I'll trust you on that one, Natsu…_

Cana snorted. "See? She won't talk to you."

Lisanna began, "Wait Levy…Maybe it's not a good time to bother Lucy…"

I slammed my hands on the desk. _That's it. I can't take it anymore._

The other students who were bickering fell silent. _I'm brave. I can do it._

"Sorry for not responding. Thank you for standing up for me Levy. It was brave of you despite all those stupid rumors about me. Thank you too Lisanna." My legs wobbled. "Cana, I'm sorry that you are frightened by me from what other people say. I'm not a slut. People only say that because of my…this. Yea you get the idea. I'm rich, but I live separately from my father…" _Wait, don't say everything!_

"…I work really hard to earn good grades because I wish to continue on my father's company. I would never ask him to bribe the teachers for me…." _This is scary…no one's talking.._

"…The first day, I had trouble controlling my anger. I'm sorry. Gray had surprised me, but it wasn't his fault. In fact, I was really happy to hear him offer. But I'm not good at dealing with people…" _They'll think I'm a creep now…_

"…I have communication troubles. I don't know why. Nothing traumatic really happened to me. My mother suddenly disappeared, and my dad remarried somewhere else. He tried to force me to go with him to study at Sabertooth Academy, but I refused…" _Stop!_

Two sides. Is that what he meant. I let out a shaky breath. Maybe I have to let my mouth talk.

"…I have this stupid problem where my body reacts before my mind. I was scared of talking to people because of it. And so, I was known as a cold person. My violent acts that sometimes spilled out gave me the loner, aggressive picture. I'm really sorry. I think I am a jerk. I'm sorry for being one all those years." I bowed.

No one said a word.

I dropped my book as tears threatened to emerge. _I'm terrible. I definitely said too much…There's no second chance for me…_Standing up, I headed for the door. _No one will stop me. It's impossible…even Levy, who tried her best….._

I was halfway across the room until a small hand grasped my wrist. I turned around, surprised. It was Levy. "Uhm…nice to meet you too, Lucy. You're not a jerk. You seem nice to me still…OH! I'm Levy McGarden, and I like _Maze Runner _too…In fact, I just like to read, and I like the color blue. I love banda—OUCH!"

Behind her, Cana appeared, holding the calculus book she hit Levy with. "Idiot. You're spouting nonsense too."

Levy whimpered in reply. Cana sighed as she eyed me. "I'm Cana." After a moment's pause, she looked the other direction, looking red. "Sorry. I know you were listening."

"EHHH?! You were?" Levy looked at me with round eyes. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, Lucy!"

"You idiot. We were practically two desks away." Cana averted her gaze back to me. "I just wanted to see how you would react. It was wrong of me to provoke you. I'm really sorry."

My knees wobbled a little.

"Hi Lucy. My name's Lisanna." A musical voice flowed behind Levy, and she smiled at me. To our surprise, the remaining students in the classroom came over.

"Hey, you're Lucy right?"

"Is it true? You're the daughter of the Heartfilia company? Wow…I'm jealous."

A red-headed girl faced me and formally took out a hand. It was the representative of our class. "I'm Erza." When I didn't respond, she awkwardly took my hand and shook it for me. I didn't care about her awkwardness though. Oh god…

_Is it really happening?_

Levy pouted at Cana. "See? Lucy isn't a bad person. She's nice!"

"Whatever, shrimp." And earned a scowl from the slender girl. This wasn't happening. _But it is…_

"Hehe. You guys are cute arguing." Lisanna's laugh chimed through. Her eyes then looked worriedly at me. "Lucy? Lucy? Are you alright?"

_"Running away."_

"…Lucy?"

I burst into tears. Gasps appeared around me. But I didn't care. I just wanted to cry out my heart until I die.

"I'm sorry! I cry easily! Don't look at me! I can't look like—wahhhhh!" I wailed.

"LUCY?! OH GOD, ARE YOU OK? WHAT DID WE SAY?"

"SOMEONE GET THE TISSUES!"

"I'M ON IT!"

"RESPOND TO ME, LUCY! WHAT HAPPENED? DID SOMEONE HURT YOU?!"

I continued crying.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The lunch bell rang. As I waved goodbye to everyone, I settled in my own seat, content. My tears had dried up, and my face remained normal because of Erza's advice.

I ran the names through my head. _Levy. Cana. Lisanna. Erza. Mavis. Michelle._

I contemplated them as I took a quick peek at Mr. Butternuggets, who was still dragging through a world history lesson. Safe.

Erza was a bit awkward, but she was still better than me. And she was beautiful with her long, luscious scarlet hair draping over her shoulders. She was elegant and refined. And popular enough to win the votes as a student council and a class representative. I envied her.

Mavis was cute. She had a lighter shade of blonde than me. But she was super cute and fun-sized. What made me curious was the wings she wore on her ears. They looked like cat ears. But she was funny and adorable. I let out a small sigh.

Michelle. She was mysterious. Her hair edged between blonde and brown. She looked like a doll almost, fragile. But she greeted me with politeness and was the first to hand me tissues. Somehow, I felt a small connection to her. Odd.

_Wait is this normal? I'm so creepy! Who runs a profile description of other people? Gahhh!_

"Mavis Vermillion. How long do you plan to space out?"

"Uh ah. Sorry Mr. B. Wahhhh…"

"Idiot." I heard Cana mutter under her breath. The class rumbled with quiet laughter.

"List me the four Congress of Vienna meetings and describe each one, Miss Vermillion." Mr. Butternuggets impatiently tapped the side of his desk with a pen.

"Eeehhhhh?

And that was how we spent the remainder of our period.

XXXXXXXXXXX

_Ding! Ding! Ding!_

"Mr. Butternuggets is a poop." Mavis whined as she hugged Cana by the waist. I tried to hide my laughter at their height. Cana was like the mom as Mavis was like the child. I focused on putting away my textbooks and placing the needed notebooks into my bag.

"And you're an idiot. Like usual," she muttered.

"Hey guys! Wanna get some crepes? A new shop opened nearby!" Levy danced.

"Yea!"

"Sure. I sort of wanted to try that place. With idiots." She earned two scowls.

"I have…somewhere to go…" The scarlet teenager blushed, matching the color of her hair.

"Ehhh? What's happening? Cram school?"

"..No…" she managed to squeeze out.

Cana rolled her eyes. "It's him right?"

"Asgwrgaoh," Erza garbled and covered her hands. She peeked through her fingers and finally admitted, "Yea…."

Squeals erupted. "OH MY GOSH! WHO ASKED WHO OUT?!"

She looked away. "…Him.."

"CONGRATULATIONS!"

"I'M SO HAPPY!"

"I SHIP IT! JELLAL AND ERZA! SITTING IN A TREE! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Levy sang as others joined her.

I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Erza even though I laughed along with others. I didn't know Jellal, even though he was in our class, but I knew he was a quiet student who studied well. He must be nice then…

_Alright, done packing_. I heaved the bag onto my shoulders and headed out the classroom.

"…COMES MARRIAGE. THEN COMES LOVE! THEN COMES A BAB—WAIT LUCY! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

I turned around, surprised to see them all stare at me. "Home?"

"You can't come for crepes?" Lisanna looked sad. "You have to though. It's our celebration of you becoming our friend."

"Yea! Come!"

"Dork. You're supposed to say yes." Cana said, boring her eyes into me. I gulped. But the others seemed unaware.

"Pweaase comeee!" Mavis's eyes shone like stars. I backed away a little. Me? Go with them? But…

"OK IT'S DECIDED! LUCY'S COMING! YAY!" Levy announced. Everyone cheered except the dumbfounded me.

What if he's there?

XXXXXXXXXX

I silently opened the door, tip-toeing my way inside the house. Virgo didn't come greet me. Strange. I looked around. No one. Breathing a sigh of relief, I walked in normally and headed for the spiraling stairs.

"Why are you late?" A deep voice boomed.

"Eep!" I froze in my tracks and looked over at the shadows. A looming figure appeared and stepped in the light. It was my dad, Jude Heartfilia.

"I asked, why are you late?" His voice was laced with coldness. "You're supposed to return home immediately."

I quivered a little at the sight of him. _No, you can do it Lucy. _"What are you doing here?" I attempted, trying to mimic my dad's coldness.

He seemed offended. "This is my house. I can enter it any time I want."

"You left it. I stayed to take care of it. It's my house."

His eyes narrowed at me. "I pay for it."

"I care for it."_ This is so awkward. Hurry up and go home. I don't want to see you._

"In this world, it doesn't matter about your petty love for it. Only money matters." _Why would you say that…?_

"But you still shouldn't forget about this house."

"And why shouldn't I? Move into my mansion, Lucy. You'll be able to attend Sabertooth Academy there."

Each second of the clock ticked slower than before. I felt my legs shake in fear. It's my father. I shouldn't be….

"No, I'm waiting for mom."

The next moment, I was sprawled across the ground with a stinging pain on my right cheek. I looked back at him. His eyes pierced into me, full of bitterness. "You little…"

As calm as I could be, I steadied myself upwards. "Please leave. Your presence is not welcome inside."

Silence. I prevented myself from meeting him in the eye. The bitterness shook me with fear. I heard heavy breathing. _He's mad…_

Then a vase crashed on impact with the ground. I winced at the sound. He had thrown it on the ground.

"Next time, I won't accept such indecent behavior. Never talk about your mother. Ever again. She disappeared for good," he spat out. I heard him whip out the door. Then silence again.

My legs quivered and gave out. I laughed shakily as I trudged my way upstairs.

_XXXXX Natsu's POV XXXXX_

I walked into the black and white office, its elegant design aweing me. A woman in her mid-twenties sat in her office chair, casually spinning it. She then spotted me and smiled. "Natsu!" She leapt out of her chair and hugged me. I responded to the embrace.

The guide awkwardly stood there. Minerva looked at her and used her hand to wave it back. "You're dismissed. Thank you, Flare."

She bowed, her loose red hair strands draping down. Then she left.

Minerva turned her attention back to me. "Natsu!"

"I think you already said that," I commented, causing her to chuckle. I then walked over to her stack of papers. _Fuji project….Venice…Petersburg…_ My eyes scanned over the names.

"Oh yes, I needed your advice for the Venice project. The Raven company is willing to exchange their leather to us for a decent price."

I raised an eyebrow. "That easily?"

"Yes. It really does seem easy." She handed me the packet of terms. "Here are their terms."

I took it from her_._ I then looked at Minerva. "Their popularity is still lower than ours? Why aren't they wagging their tail at the Heartfilia company?"

"Yes. I heard some corruption was growing between the leadership staff members. Even though Jude had fired them." She shrugged. "Maybe they're after our reputation then, if they're not going to them. Better for us."

"Mmm." I looked back at the papers. "It should be fine. They don't realize that by selling us their leather, we're benefitting more than them, product-wise. Their leather is of great quality. They'll only gain reputation for helping the Orlando company."

"Isn't that stupid of them?"

"Well, it's reputation. If they have a good one, they can last longer. It's better for the latter." I handed her back the terms, to which she tossed aside. She walked over and snaked her arms around my shoulders. _Woah woman…_

"Natsu…." she cooed.

"Hmm?"

"Let yourself be known to public. This is your company…" she murmured as she stroked my cheek. I thoughtfully looked at the plant behind her. A small cockroach scuffled below a leaf.

"You forget Minerva. This is our company. You can run it by yourself publicly." I simply replied.

"But..it's not fair…. I'm doing the work of two people…"

I looked down into her coal-black eyes. Her eyelids glimmered cerulean in contrast with her olive eyes. _Nice color choice for your tone…but it stands out too much…just leave it at the eyeliner._ Calmly, I raised both of my hands to her wrists, grabbed them, and pulled them away from my neck.

"Sucks to be you eh?" I laughed, earning a small scoff. She spun around and walked to her chair, settling in it.

"You worked hard. This should be your company."

"You're forgetting."

She rolled her eyes. "This should be OUR company."

"Minerva. It's your company. I don't want to be in the spotlight."

She sighed. "Whatever. Work your little part-timer jobs. Does Makarov know?"

I shook my head.

Another sigh. "You're dismissed, Mr. Dragneel."

"Thank you, Miss Minerva," I mockingly bowed. She laughed and shooed me away with her hand. Grinning, I exited out the room, only to see Flare waiting.

"Holy crap woman, you're creepy."

She ignored the comment and glowered at me. "Treat Miss Minerva right," she quietly hissed.

I raised an eyebrow. "I think I'm a complete gentleman." A scream was heard in Minerva's office. _Oh yea, the roach._

Flare worriedly looked at her office and returned to me with a glare. "What did you do?!"

"Nothing." I held up my hands innocently. Then I scratched my head. "Might be a bug problem." I proceeded to walk down the hallway with Flare mentally shooting bullets at my back. I ran a hand through my hair, remembering it was gelled. I now had a dark gray suit with a pink tie that matched my hair. Casually, I walked past the workers.

"Thank you for visiting, Mr. Dragneel."

"Please come again, Mr. Dragneel."

"Thank you, Mr. Dragneel."

"Please come back. You are a valued customer."

"Thank you, Mr. Dragneel."

Polite smiles everywhere.

I walked past them even though I grimaced inside. Quickly, I exited out to a bridge that connected Orlando and Saber Hotel together.

_Weirdos…_


End file.
